In article ,
(Adrian) wrote:

He also told me that he quite liked the one he'd tried, except for
one thing - he thought that because it didn't look like a taxi,
customers wouldn't hail it.

Yep, I can see that being an issue - those sort of van conversions
are in widespread use elsewhere as minicabs - and just as Joe
Public's been thoroughly trained that in London "Black Cab" = Taxi,
anything else = minicab/not hailable/driven by unininsured perverts
& rapists...

There are lots of converted vans licensed as hackneys in Cambridge, and no
doubt elsewhere, especially where wheelchair accessibility is taken
seriously.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message ,
writes
In article ,
(Mike Hughes) wrote:

And finally, what's the uptake on the Mercs been like?

They hope to have 150 in service by the end of Jan

Out of, how many licensed cabs is it? 22,000?

Just slightly under the last time I checked (October 2007)


--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England
Interested in American trains real and model?
Look here http://mikehughes627.fotopic.net/

In article ,
(Mike Hughes) wrote:

In message ,
writes
In article ,
(Mike Hughes) wrote:

And finally, what's the uptake on the Mercs been like?

They hope to have 150 in service by the end of Jan

Out of, how many licensed cabs is it? 22,000?

Just slightly under the last time I checked (October 2007)

I was judging by the fact that they are replacing plate 99999 about now
and must have issued plate 32000 by now because a plate in the high 31800s
expires a year after last week (they start again at 10000 after 99999).

--
Colin Rosenstiel

We have been involved with London Taxis for over 70 years and have been manufacturing them for over 60 years. Over that time we have built up unrivalled expertise in the intensely demanding world of taxi cabs.

I am not interested in becoming a professional taxi driver, but would like to learn some of the routes used by the professionals to move about London.

Well, go ahead and learn them!

There are essentially two ways to learn how to drive around London without getting stuck in the innumerable unnecessary traffic jams. The first is to "do the knowledge" which is what London's Hackney Cab drivers have to do. This involves, amongst other things, doing more than 300 pre-determined "runs" and memorising the routes.

The second is to do a great deal of driving, to learn the hard way where all the traffic problems are, and by trial and error experimentation to learn routes which avoid those problem areas.

Because Hackney Cab drivers are supposed to take the most direct route, they are not the greatest experts in avoiding traffic jams.

London is one of the most beautiful and happening cities in the world. Tourists from different parts of the world visit here to explore its beauty and charm. If you are planning to visit London this vacation, make sure that you book London taxis ahead of time. Taxis act as an important link in the London's transportation network.